Profile of an Average U.S. Supermarket’s Greenhouse Gas Impacts from Refrigeration Leaks Compared to Electricity Consumption This is a profile of an average U.S. supermarket and the resulting Greenhouse Gas (GHG) impacts from leaked refrigerants and electricity consumption in a given year. The GHG estimates are based on the assumptions and industry information cited below and provided in pounds and metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2eq). To calculate your specific store’s GHG impact from refrigeration leaks and electricity consumption use the corresponding GreenChill calculator. U.S. Supermarket Store Size 1
46,000 square feet
Annual Electricity Consumption Intensity for U.S. Supermarkets 2
51 kilowatt hours per square foot
Annual Electricity Consumed (Annual Consumption Intensity x Store Size)
2,346,000 kilowatt hours per year
Electricity Use Emission Factor (U.S. Average) 3
1.30 pounds of CO2eq per kilowatt hour
Annual CO2eq Emissions from Electricity Consumption
3,049,800 pounds of CO2 per year
Annual CO2eq Emissions from Electricity Consumption (metric)
1,383 metric tonnes of CO2 per year
Typical Commercial Refrigerant Used 4
R-404A
Global Warming Potential (AR4 standard) 5
3,921.6
Commercial Refrigeration Charge
Size 6
3,500 pounds
Annual Commercial Refrigeration Leak Rate 7
25% per year
Annual Volume of Commercial Refrigerant Leaked
875 pounds per year
Annual CO2eq of R-404A Leaked
3,431,400 pounds of CO2eq per year
Annual CO2 eq of R-404A Leaked (metric)
1,556 metric tonnes of CO2eq per year
Food Market Institute. n.d. Supermarket Facts. FMI | Food Marketing Institute | Food Marketing Institute - Facts & Figures. Retrieved May 26, 2011. From www.fmi.org/facts_figs/?fuseaction=superfact 2 U.S. EPA. July 2008. Sector Collaborative on Energy Efficiency Accomplishments and Next Steps: A Resource of the National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency. Sector_Collaborative.pdf. Retrieved May 26, 2011. From www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/documents/suca/sector_collaborative.pdf 3U.S. EPA. May 2011. eGRID2010 Version 1.1, Year 2007 Summary Tables. Retrieved May 27, 2011 from http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/documents/egridzips/eGRID2010V1_1_year07_SummaryTables.pdf. 4 Most widely used non-ozone depleting commercial refrigerant based on U.S. EPA Refrigerant Vintaging Model, March 23, 2011 5 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. nd. IPCC Fourth Assessment Report: Climate Change 2007. 2.10.2 Direct Global Warming Potentials. Retrieved May 26, 2011. From www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg1/en/ch2s2-10-2.html#table-2-14 6 , 7 I.C.F. Consulting. November 30, 2005.Revised Draft Analysis of U.S. Commercial Supermarket Refrigeration Systems. EPASupermarketReport_PUBLIC_30Nov05.pdf (application/pdf Object). Retrieved May 26, 2011. From www.epa.gov/greenchill/downloads/EPASupermarketReport_PUBLIC_30Nov05.pdf 1